Police said the incident at Farmingdale Villas on Genova Court in East Farmingdale was reported in a 911 call at 11:11 p.m. Police and volunteers from the East Farmingdale Fire Department responded to the scene and, police said, evacuated "several units" in the complex. Police could not immediately say how many apartments were evacuated.

After an investigation, police said it was determined that a heating unit had malfunctioned. Firefighters vented all the affected apartments.